Page 56 of The Game

Would Janus be up for working with me this morning? We haven’t done that in a long time. I fling back the covers. I want to sit next to an old friend and chat about software. But first,coffee.

I whisk through the shower and head through to the kitchen to find the machine has already brewed a pot of coffee, so I pour myself a mug and make my way to the study where Janus is peering at his screen, dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt. He turns to me with a smile.

“Have you been here all night?” I say.

He shakes his head. “Bed at about 1 a.m. I heard Anna leave around six, so I got up about 7 a.m. and put the coffee on, came and sat down, and now you’ve appeared.”

“You want a refill?” I nod at the mug on his desk.

“Yeah, please. Good night?” he adds, smiling.

He didn’t give me shit last night, but I think I’m going to get it today.

“Thanks for letting Anna stay.” I sink into the seat next to him and pick at my hands. “We’re in a funny place, I guess.”

“Funny place?”

“Friends, maybe more?”

“You want more?”

I laugh. “Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? Why would she be interested in a guy like me?”

“That’s not what I meant, buddy.”

“I have nothing to offer a woman like Anna Talanova.”

“You have everything to offer her, Adam! Loyalty, kindness, commitment, honesty, friendship, other talents that I don’t know about and wouldn’t want to know.” He winks at me then sighs. “It’s no surprise you’re in an odd place. She’s had a bad time of it, and so have you. People took advantage, but you’re both amazing people, and if it becomes more … then I couldn’t be more delighted for you.”

“Thank you.” I chew my lip as I stare at the code on his screen. “I don’t think I’ve ever really gotten over what she did.”

He understands immediately who I’m talking about, of course he does. “It’s been a long time, Adam, and if you still feel like that, then you should get some help, some therapy. It was abuse.”

“It was.” I take in the concerned frown on his face, and I know that expression only too well: the Janus-is-about-to-wade-in look. I tap his arm and pick up his mug. “I’ll think about it, okay?” I nod at his computer. “Same issue as last night?”

He studies me for a beat, as if he’s not going to accept the subject change, then he huffs and turns back to his screen. “Yeah. Wanna help?”

“Let me get your coffee.”

Five hours later, I think we’ve broken the back of his problem, and Janus is bouncing around talking about how this is going to solve lots of issues with his company’s software.

“Lunch?” he says.

I pick up my phone to find pictures of Anna, looking like she’s arriving atthe place where she practices tennis. When I click on the link, it takes me to some gossip site:

ANNA TALANOVA DEFENDS DECISION TO TAKE OUT RESTRAINING ORDER AGAINST ARTY MAROZ

Fuck!Was she doorstepped this morning? The article has today’s date on it, but they could be using old shots and regurgitating old news.

I glance at the time: 3 p.m. I shoot her a text:

Got fed something from a news website. Were you ambushed today?

There’s no immediate reply: She’s probably still playing. I pad through to the kitchen where Janus is brewing some fresh coffee.

“Looks like Anna was ambushed by the press this morning,” I say.

“Really?”

---